Shoppers to Participate in ‘Showrooming’ this Holiday Season
October 29, 2012
According to Accenture’s annual consumer holiday shopping study, “showrooming,” or browsing online for the best price, will be a key factor in customer spending behavior this holiday season. The majority of shoppers (56 percent) said that after seeing a product in a physical store, they would search online for the best price and then purchase online. Additionally, 27 percent of shoppers said they would likely make the purchase online, using their smartphone or tablet, while they are still out shopping.
“Consumers don’t just want to shop online; they want a simple and seamless shopping experience that offers them convenience and value,” said Chris Donnelly, managing director of Accenture’s Retail practice. “As recent announcements have shown, some traditional retailers are starting to tackle ‘showrooming’ head-on this holiday season with tactics, such as price matching against their online competitors, but they must also strengthen their customer service and product availability in order to really fight back.”
The study also revealed that the majority of U.S. consumers (51 percent) have already made their holiday shopping plans this year and plan to buy gifts with cash that they have set aside specifically for the holidays.
Consumers are expected to spend an average of $582 on holiday shopping this season, and 23 percent plan to spend more than $750. Half (52 percent) of respondents expect to increase their spending by $250 or more. However, only 5 percent said they expect to be “extravagant” in their holiday shopping, and only 8 percent said they would “splurge.”
This year’s survey also found that half (52 percent) of consumers would be willing to shop online on Thanksgiving Day if retailers offer discounts, and 53 percent plan to shop on Black Friday, which would reverse a three-year trend of declining interest in Black Friday shopping, indicated by Accenture’s previous surveys.
